not over you.

remember when i was like: should i go see gavin degraw in vegas for my birthday?

well.

i went.

it was amazing.

i walked through the casino trying to find the concert and was guided to the outside middle of the casino - the pool area. it was a lovely warm evening and a romantic atmosphere.

and there i was. me and gavin.

you know how some artists have the amazing ability to make it seem like they're singing to only you. (can't think of any other artists on the spot, but there must be a couple.) yes. it was gavin and me. me and gavin.

i was in love. his voice. his moves.

he's sexy.

well it turns out there were other people at the concert too. i was disappointed. they were there. and they were drunk. so naturally they would prefer the faster songs of mr gavin. so that's what he sang.

not my faves: more than anyone. and dancing shoes.

but it's ok.

i still love him.

best birthday present i have ever given myself. thanks.

his new album, sweeter comes out sep 20. the first single, not over you, is out. and he sang that. love. love love love.

i'm not over him.

ja, vi elsker dette landet.

the morning of july 22, 2011, i was waking up in my motel room in portland, or. i was on a solo road trip (more about that later).

fortunately, there was internet at the motel, so i did what every person (literally every person these days.) does when they go on the internet - check facebook.

my friend pablo had sent me a message, asking if my family was ok after the bombing in norway.

i hadn't the slightest idea what he was talking about, so i went to vg.no to check out what norway itself had to report.

i was shocked.

the little time i had before checkout was spent soaking up all the horrible information i could muster. what i gathered was that there was a bomb that had gone off in oslo, and i think, by that point, information about the shooting at utøya had started coming in. but it was only a little after 7 pm norway time. so the events were still unexplainable.

it felt so unreal. and of course my first though was that it was a terrorist attack. (there was no information online to indicate anything either way.)

this does not happen in safe, little norway.

then, as i got back on the road that day, more news was revealed, now focused mostly on the shootings, which was relayed to me by phone from my friend, aaron.

i couldn't believe it.

arriving in seattle, i spent most of the night reading everything i could online. i was in disbelief. i cried. i felt terrified.

i was in mourning.

the next few days, still on my trip, and as i came home, i couldn't stop reading. i felt so far away from my homeland.

as the entire country of norway came together to mourn for those lost, and fight hatred with love and togetherness, i did so in my heart.

i have been known to criticize, if you will, norwegians for their unfriendliness and cold privacy, but seeing pictures of strangers hugging on the streets, which were filled with roses from all the country's flowershops, warmed my heart.

i was a proud norwegian.

the monster behind these gruesome acts deserves little mention here. what is important is that we take our country back, and take care of each other like never before.

which i think will happen. these horrendous events has proven that we have great leaders that deeply and truly cares about our country's citizens and about democracy.

i am a proud norwegian.

i still mourn for those affected by this terrible tragedy, and i still pray.

may we never forget.

a new post.

i am getting a little bit tired of seeing the same (awesome) pictures on my blog every time i look at it, so i decided the only cure was for me to write a new blogpost.

and that has been my greatest desire for a long time. but you know when you have sooo much to write about that you just don't start. and then life goes on and gives you more blogposts to be behind on.

well. that happened to me.

so. here's my list. this is what's on the blog menu in the near future (meaning tomorrow, and maybe tuesday):

tragedy in norway (about time).
gavin degraw concert.
road trip to oregon/washington.
saying goodbye to provo.
graduation.
my mother.
road trip from provo to dc.
living in dc.

there you have it. a few hours worth of writing and picture posting. well, hopefully not a few hours.

i'm excited.